Issue 69, 2019

Harnessing inherently hierarchical microstructures of plant biomass to construct three-dimensional nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbons as efficient and durable oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

Abstract

Exploiting the natural structures of plants to prepare high-performance carbon-based electrocatalysts is highly desirable. Herein, the inherently hierarchical microstructures of Euphorbia tirucalli (E. tirucalli) are employed to construct three-dimensional nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbons that act as efficient and durable electrocatalysts towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). During the preparation process, agar is used in order to reduce the dissipation of nitrogen and to protect the fine structures of E. tirucalli. The as-prepared ORR catalyst, with a high density of pyridinic and graphitic nitrogens, presents a high catalytic activity (onset potential of 0.97 V vs. RHE, half-wave potential of 0.82 V vs. RHE, limiting current density of 5.64 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope of 59 mV dec−1), four-electron pathway, low peroxide yield, long-term stability (current retention of 95.3% after 50 000 s) and strong methanol tolerance in 0.1 M KOH, all superior to the benchmark 20% Pt/C commercial catalyst. This work demonstrates an effective method for the utilization of inherently hierarchical microstructures of plant biomass to make efficient and durable carbon-based metal-free ORR electrocatalysts.

Graphical abstract: Harnessing inherently hierarchical microstructures of plant biomass to construct three-dimensional nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbons as efficient and durable oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Oct 2019
Accepted
29 Nov 2019
First published
06 Dec 2019
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2019,9, 40326-40335

Harnessing inherently hierarchical microstructures of plant biomass to construct three-dimensional nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbons as efficient and durable oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

H. Tang, S. Wei, C. Yang, P. Bai, J. Qi, W. Zhang, L. Yu and L. Xu, RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 40326 DOI: 10.1039/C9RA08751F

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